Critical thinking in understanding humanities

Critical thinking plays a role in just about everything you do. Even brushing your teeth can descend into sloppy habits - you just can’t get away from the need to have a certain awareness of the facts on hand, and compare them to some model. For instance in the humanities, let’s say English Literature, providing a critical essay means having to know the genre. Then add the author’s other works hence pet habits (a.k.a. proclivities.) And then add competing examples by other authors. And them go deep - look at the topic through the eyes of prior or subsequent generations.

I’m not saying this applies to the 101 class - but you get the point. To be able to make an intelligent statement you need a matrix of facts. Those will allow you to “connect the dots” on multiple levels so your statement will make sense. So it will have constructive value. So that it is defensible if challenged. (Pet peeve) “Force feeding facts to high school students is far less beneficial than teaching them to think,” is positive that the idea’s originator didn’t bother to do any critical thinking. All of life depends on critical thinking. “Get the information” is a good mantra to have.

I am a old man of mid sixties. I took my humanities classes many years ago. But if I recall correctly, I had to write an essay on a social issue that time and I could had done a ride-a-along with someone and wrote the essay. So, I when to the nearby Recue Mission for the homeless. The place was super clean. I interviewed a sister there. I expected see would tell me most her clients would be old drunkards or drug addicts. I was surprised when she told me they were rather younger drug addicts. She also told me many other things. In addition I donate for meals at the Recue Mission for meals for the homeless at festival times. Since , I have the ability to write the forgoing it shows the effect of humanities on critical thinking.

What role does critical thinking play in the humanities? It can help us separate good from bad and right from wrong. It can help us refine our ideas. It can help open our minds. I tend to think the average humanities student however hasn’t been given the real tools to challenge their professors thinking and perspective. Not to mention, professors are in a position of authority. Our civilization has been advanced on the back of two things: freedom and conscience. It is only on the basis of both that we can move forward. It’s hard to remember that it was the neo-classical which in some sense gave rise to society.

What role do the humanities play in critical thinking? Truth is paramount and so humility in the face of conflict and confusion can be important. Paying attention to biases and assumptions is one of the best way one can wake up from our ideological and worldview slumbers. But a commitment to truth has to come before the appearance of wins or ideological “success.” Those are short-won and truth is forever. It does no good to defeat the principles of Friction and Gravity, when we have to live day in and day out with both Friction and Gravity.

It is in learning philosophy, history, and literature that we come to better understand humanity. We come to better appreciate both our similarities and our differences. We come to appreciate the value of empathy, listening, patience, kindness, and forgiveness. It is in learn this that we mature and grow in both wisdom and leadership. This is the journey of life—the daily quest and choice—the challenge of life—which is to say the question between good and evil which runs through the human heart. The humanities can help us see with new eyes and to gain a wider view of reality than just the one we grew up with.

Humans have natural biases which can lead them to make bad decision’s based on emotions instead of logic. Critical thinking was developed by the early Greek philosophers such as Socrates and Plato because the Greeks and there new democracy made a lot of bad decisions and nearly killed themselves. This is why critical thinking is important to the humanities and traditionally used by the law to think things out logically instead of being lead by reactive emotions. I have been looking at Covid-19 as a very bad thing but it could lead to a better world, it is highlighting what is wrong with the present systems and where we are headed.

With out Covid-19 we were slowly sliding into a right brain anxiety driven right wing world, this would have happened slowly so most would have not seem it coming but now it is shoved in our faces. EGMi maximises use of the left logical/positive brain our goodness/oneness/inner happiness, this offers a “ new normal “ a goodness based world democracy and an end to all human made suffering. Humanities can thrive because of increasing need of them. “new normal” will go better if we can predict how things will change and what to do to make the best of it. Critical thinking is becoming more essential to sort through all the scams, fake news, and misinformation that floods the internet quickly and easily. Cheers!